This old fashioned Date Nut Bread makes two loaves—one to keep and one to give (or freeze)! It’s moist and flavorful, and delicious for breakfast with a cup of coffee or tea.
Featured Comment:
“This is close to my grandmother’s recipe too. I still have the old orange juice cans she baked it in, back in the day when oj came in tins. How fun to see this!” -Jeanne
Grandma’s Date Nut Bread is a recipe that is straight from my grandma’s recipe book. She baked with dates quite a bit, as the book also contains recipes for Date Bars and Old Fashioned Date Cake.
Judging by the splatters on the handwritten recipe, she made it more than a few times (a photo of her recipe book is below). Grandma made the date bread recipe in tin cans, but I’ve adapted it here to be made in loaf pans. If you want to try your hand at baking in tin cans, you can make the recipe in five #2 cans (more on that below).
The loaf is sweet and moist, and I really love it spread with butter for breakfast or a snack. One time my aunt added thin slices of it to the bread basket at Thanksgiving dinner, much to my delight. One reader mentioned that she bakes half the batter in a loaf pan, and the other half in a muffin tin. I love that idea.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Dates are the star of this bread. I recommend deglet noor dates, or another type of dried date (which you can find with the dried fruit at your local grocery store). I have not tested this recipe with medjool dates, which are fresh and not dried.
- The dates are soaked in baking soda and boiling water to soften them.
- You don’t need much butter for this recipe—only 2 tablespoons!
- Four cups of all-purpose flour may seem like a lot, but the recipe makes two good-sized loaves.
- Chopped walnuts add crunch. Substitute pecans if you’d like.
How to Make Old Fashioned Date Nut Bread
- Soak the dates in boiling water and baking soda. The mixture may bubble a bit. Let cool before proceeding with the recipe.
- Whisk together the eggs, melted butter, sugar, vanilla, and salt. The mixture will be smooth and almost shiny.
- Whisk in the dates and water/baking soda (liquid and all). Add the flour and chopped nuts, and stir gently just until combined.
- Divide the mixture between two greased 8×4-inch loaf pans. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs attached.
How to make date Nut bread in cans
To make date nut bread in cans, you’ll need five or six 20-ounce cans (these were once referred to as #2 cans). Canned fruit, such as pineapple chunks, are often sold in in the 20-ounce size.
Prepare the cans by emptying them, removing the label, and washing with dish soap and water.
Grease the cans generously with cooking spray so the bread doesn’t stick (I use an oil mister
). Fill the cans half full with the batter, and bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs attached.
One reader noted that some cans have a lip attached, which may affect your ability to get the bread out cleanly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Date Nut Bread can be made 1–2 days in advance of serving. Keep it tightly covered at room temperature. It’ll keep for several more days, but I find that it’s best within those first few days. You can also freeze it for several months. When freezing, wrap it in foil and then transfer to a freezer bag.
Soaking the dates in boiling water and baking soda creates a brown liquid that makes the dough (and also the finished loaf) a medium-to-dark brown in color. This technique is unique to date bread and is common among old fashioned date bread recipes. I personally love the color, since it contrasts nicely with a pat of butter or cream cheese!
Dried dates, such as deglet noor, are best for date nut bread. They might not be labeled deglet noor specifically, but any type of dried date works. Sunsweet is a popular brand.
Uses for leftover dates
Any leftover dates can be used a variety of ways.
- Enjoy in a bowl of oatmeal with brown sugar
- Make peanut butter chocolate energy bites
- Blend them into a smoothie
- Stuff whole dates with peanut butter and eat as a snack
- Add chopped dates to trail mix
More old fashioned quick bread recipes
This recipe for date nut bread makes two loaves, and I love giving the other one away. Quick breads are great to include with a baby meal (or a meal when someone is sick or grieving).
Here are a few other quick breads that I love for sharing:
📖 Recipe
Grandma’s Date Nut Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup chopped dates
- 2 cups boiling water
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 8×4 inch loaf pans.
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Place the dates and baking soda in a medium bowl. Pour the boiling water over the top and allow to cool. You can speed up the cooling process by placing the bowl in the refrigerator.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt.
- When cool, pour the water and dates into the sugar and egg mixture. Whisk to combine.
- Use a spatula to gently stir in the flour and nuts. Take care not to overmix the batter, which can make the bread tough.
- Divide the mixture between the two greased loaf pans. Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs attached.
- Alternatively, you can bake this recipe in tin cans. Grease five or six clean #2 cans (#2 cans typically hold 20 oz of fruit, vegetables, etc.). Divide the mixture between the cans, filling each can halfway full. Bake for 50–55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with dry crumbs attached.
This appears to be the exact recipe that my grandma used… And I would like to say that she would slice it up, kind of on the thick side and put it in a toaster oven or something similar and then butter and then cream cheese… Oh my word… It was the best! And thank you for bringing that memory back because I want some right now!!!
That sounds so good! Thanks for sharing your memory with us and for your kind review.
Can I do this in a Bundt pan instead of two loaves?
Yes, that should work just fine!
This recipe is also my Grandmothers recipe!!! the only difference is she used brown sugar, not granulated sugar…. it’s delicious!!! I also always use cans… our family calls it bullet bread.
Oh I love that!! Thanks for commenting! <3
This recipe is also my Grandmothers recipe!!! the only difference is she used brown sugar, not granulated sugar…. it’s delicious!!!
I did not see the warning to not use medjool dates. I just put them in the oven, what will go wrong ?
They should work just fine! How did it turn out?
Aw I remember my mom making date but bread in old coffee tins for our family and as teacher gifts. Delicious with cream cheese. So fun to a recipe I know from a stained note card with beautiful photos and complete directions. Thank you!
Thanks, Michelle! My mom did it in the old coffee tins, too. 🙂
This is close to my grandmother’s recipe too. I still have the old orange juice cans she baked it in, back in the day when oj came in tins. How fun to see this!
Oh I love that!! Thanks for stopping by!
I think I FINALLY found a recipe close to what mom made when we were growing up. She always had a loaf of some kind on hand for Sunday company (pretty much every week lol) and odd as it seemed at the time my favorite was the date loaf! I remember her recipe only had a tiny bit of butter in it – same as this one – and it rose beautifully! I made one loaf and a dozen muffins out of the recipe. I prefer the muffins for portion control, hubby prefers the loaf for whatever reason so…something for each of us. This was easy to make and tastes soo good! Thank you!
Oh I love hearing that, Jane! I’m so glad that this was close to your mom’s recipe. I, too, loved it as a kid. 🙂 Thanks for your review and for taking the time to comment!
This date nut leaf is definitely a winner! My family all loved it and I enjoyed it with coffee for breakfast!
I tried the tin can version and while the little loaves were darling with their round slices, it was difficult getting them out of the cans – there’s a slight lip on the can and the cans have a sharp edge which makes cleaning them a “pain”. I tossed the cans and made traditional loaves the next time (but I’m glad I tried).
Thanks again for another great vintage recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Morag! Thanks for letting me know about the cans—that is really good to know. I wonder if cans have changed over the years?? I’m glad you tried, too. 🙂